The Triumphant Church3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor
wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at
all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled....
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and
behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose
loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face
as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as
lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in
colour to polished brass, and the voice of his
words like the voice of a multitude....
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for
FROM THE FIRST DAY that thou didst set thine
heart to understand, and to chasten thyself
before thy God, THY WORDS WERE HEARD,
and I AM COME FOR THY WORDS.
13 But the PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM OF
PERSIA [wicked spirits in the heavenlies]
withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo,
Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help
me; and I remained there with the kings of
Persia.
14 Now I am come to make thee understand
what shall befall thy people in the latter days:
for yet the vision is for many days.
Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah had prophesied that God
would deliver Israel out of Babylon. Daniel was one of
the many Hebrew exiles held captive in Babylon at the
time. One day Daniel read those prophecies about
Israel's release from captivity, and he began seeking
God about what God had promised.
It was the Word of God that stirred Daniel up to
pray and seek God on behalf of his people. And as
Daniel sought the Lord, God not only showed him what
would happen in the immediate future, but He also
showed Daniel certain kingdoms that would decline and